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Electro‑Voice EVA for Salem High School

October 5, 2009

Brand new Electro-Voice EVA line array loudspeakers are providing exceptional style and sound quality as part of an installation at Salem High School (Salem, Ohio).

Jay Dunkle, Design Engineer with regional installation contractors Radi-O-Sound Communications described the project: “The auditorium at Salem High School is an unusual shape; it’s only 19 feet high but 90 feet deep, which is why I decided to go with a single-point source. The school also asked that their new system not look like a large concert rig - they wanted the sightlines to remain as clear as possible, keeping a nice clean look in the room. We sampled many different loudspeakers and nothing came close to the new EVA in terms of audio quality and aesthetics. They look and sound beautiful.“

“The elegant styling and pricing create the whole package. It’s going to be a great install piece.”

(90°H x 6°V) over one EVA-2082S/1220 (120°H x 20°V). Both modules are powered by a single CPS 2.9 MK II amplifier - also new from EV - and processed via a DC-One. In addition to the main array, Dunkle filled-in the front and side rows with two ZX1 loudspeakers; two FRi-28LPM serve as low-profile stage monitors. The EV spec also features four new PL37 cardioid condenser microphones. A selection of older EV equipment is sounding great in the system: Two P1200 amps power the fills and monitors; another single P2000 powers two TL18-1 subs under the stage, center-packed to deliver frequencies down to 28 Hz. Monitor EQ is via a Dx34 processor.

“This is an acoustically dead room - we had no positive reflections to work with,“ Dunkle explains. “So we spec’d this particular combination of EVA modules to keep the sound off the side walls, aiming them directly at the seating areas. We first demo’d the system on the stage for the high school’s superintendant and the middle-school principal, and they were very impressed,“ Dunkle says. “We drove it up to around 95 dB and it was crystal clear and highly intelligible, which is appropriate since the school needed a system for speeches and vocals during theater productions and DVD presentations.“

EVA is part of the Electro-Voice EV-Innovation family of installation-dedicated loudspeaker systems - designed to address every detail. Dunkle explains: “This is a really well-thought out box - it was obviously designed from the installed sound perspective. For example, the small side panels cover up the rigging hardware, giving the modules a sleek, seamless look. An EVA array is smooth on the front and the back; it’s unobtrusive and has a nice compact footprint - it also doesn’t require a huge amount of hardware to fly or mount these boxes.“

“We were able to spec this system to the exact needs of the room using EV’s EVADA software,“ Dunkle continues. “The prediction software is very accurate and easy to use. Both modules sounded great from the front and very back of the room. Since they have an internal passive network, EVA boxes require less power and processing, which also helps keep things less expensive and more compact, with no compromises on performance. We only required two filters in each module - 3 dB here, 3 dB there - to render them flat for the room. With the passive filters in there, the array was essentially EQ’ed for the room right off the bat.“

Dunkle has already specified EVA for two more house of worship projects. “These are new boxes but word is spreading quickly,“ Dunkle says. “Beyond their superb performance and looks they’re also surprisingly affordable. The elegant styling and pricing create the whole package. It’s going to be a great install piece.“

Radi-O-Sound Communications worked with Electro-Voice sales representatives CL Pugh & Associates on this project, the first EVA installation in the region.